I am writing this note to perhaps help others with their cats in a similar situation. To start my sweet Scout (14 yr old female calico) was diagnosed with diabetes in Feb 2010 (@10.5 yrs old) She most likely had it earlier as we saw her drinking water from the floor of the shower frequently and thought it was just cute. In February 2010 we took her to the vet for a checkup and they checked her BGL and it was 295. So they started us on Prozinc, and gave us Purina diabetic dry food. Not being satisfied I hit the internet and found this site and others. I also found a feline specialist here in So. California and we took Scout to see her.
First thing was getting her off dry food and only canned Wellness food. We adjusted her insulin until we got her into remission 6 weeks later! Well, that was short lived, in Aug. 2010 she was acting weird again and sure enough her BG was 280. We tried to regulate by bumping up to 4 units twice per day but could not get her lower than 191. The vet suggested we try Lantis, we also did an ultrasound and a ton of blood work. Her BG seem to run 295-150 but we could not get it lower. She trucked along with these numbers during 2011, getting two shots of Lantis each day.
In late 2011 she was losing weight, vomiting, and had high BG. We took her to the vet and her BG was 400, she was placed on IV fluids for 3 days, now we were also dealing with compromised kidneys, and pancreatitis. She could not use her back legs, and we had to hold her so she could urinate. I read about B12 on this site and tried it, within a couple days she could walk again!!! She seemed to bounce back and we kept her on Lantis, 2 units every 12 hours + fast acting insulin (1 unit) twice per day (I came home for lunch everyday to give her the fast acting and woke up at midnight for the other shot) We had her numbers in the 80-150 range! We also had to start SubQ therapy in Jan- 2012, 150ml every day spiked with potassium, and B12. So the vet suggested taking off the fast acting and only going with lantis. She trucked along without ever getting good BG regulation, it seems the pancreatitis just keep throwing the BG out of wack and they we also had the kidneys to deal with.
There were good days and bad days throughout 2012. In Nov. 2012 she crashed and needed to go back to the vet for three days on i/v for 3 days, but she did not have quite the bounce back we were used to seeing in the past.. We also started on another insulin, levimir. We were going with 2 units twice per day. Her BG numbers were in the mid 150s. Her blood work numbers were not great but quality of life was good, Vet said we are on borrowed time, but if quality of life is good, keep going. In Feb 2013, she crashed again, on i/v fluids for 3 days, did not get a great bounce back, BG still not regulated well. In May 2013 she crashed again, lost one pound in weight, 12 to 11 lbs. On three more days of I/V, she came home, there was a little improvement but she stayed in the closet for 5 days which concerned me as she is always social. Then, a week later she started coming around. She has not looked great but quality of life is still okay.
Over the past couple week she has looked dehydrated, and the last couple days she has been walking around and wobbling a bit. Yesterday afternoon she actually stumbled over, I think she may have been hypoglycemic. We gave her food and a tiny bit of honey. She is going to the vet today, most likely to go on I/v. She has lost a little more than ½ a pound in the past 3-4 wks, she is looking thin and we are taking her back to the vet today. I am growing concerned as the time between crashes in getting shorter.
It has been a 3 1/2 year journey with diabetes, pancreatitis, and renal failure, Scout has been a trooper the entire time of getting poked with needles all the time and sub-Q fluids daily for the past 18 months! It’s also been very expensive but she is family. She will be 14 yrs old at the end of this week. I hope she can find the strength to make it! I know we have been on borrowed time for at least the past year, I just hope I will know when the right time is to let her go and not prolong the pain.
To others out there, don’t give up, I have truly treasured the past 3.5 years I have had with Scout since diagnosed with diabetes and we have a bond that few will experience.
First thing was getting her off dry food and only canned Wellness food. We adjusted her insulin until we got her into remission 6 weeks later! Well, that was short lived, in Aug. 2010 she was acting weird again and sure enough her BG was 280. We tried to regulate by bumping up to 4 units twice per day but could not get her lower than 191. The vet suggested we try Lantis, we also did an ultrasound and a ton of blood work. Her BG seem to run 295-150 but we could not get it lower. She trucked along with these numbers during 2011, getting two shots of Lantis each day.
In late 2011 she was losing weight, vomiting, and had high BG. We took her to the vet and her BG was 400, she was placed on IV fluids for 3 days, now we were also dealing with compromised kidneys, and pancreatitis. She could not use her back legs, and we had to hold her so she could urinate. I read about B12 on this site and tried it, within a couple days she could walk again!!! She seemed to bounce back and we kept her on Lantis, 2 units every 12 hours + fast acting insulin (1 unit) twice per day (I came home for lunch everyday to give her the fast acting and woke up at midnight for the other shot) We had her numbers in the 80-150 range! We also had to start SubQ therapy in Jan- 2012, 150ml every day spiked with potassium, and B12. So the vet suggested taking off the fast acting and only going with lantis. She trucked along without ever getting good BG regulation, it seems the pancreatitis just keep throwing the BG out of wack and they we also had the kidneys to deal with.
There were good days and bad days throughout 2012. In Nov. 2012 she crashed and needed to go back to the vet for three days on i/v for 3 days, but she did not have quite the bounce back we were used to seeing in the past.. We also started on another insulin, levimir. We were going with 2 units twice per day. Her BG numbers were in the mid 150s. Her blood work numbers were not great but quality of life was good, Vet said we are on borrowed time, but if quality of life is good, keep going. In Feb 2013, she crashed again, on i/v fluids for 3 days, did not get a great bounce back, BG still not regulated well. In May 2013 she crashed again, lost one pound in weight, 12 to 11 lbs. On three more days of I/V, she came home, there was a little improvement but she stayed in the closet for 5 days which concerned me as she is always social. Then, a week later she started coming around. She has not looked great but quality of life is still okay.
Over the past couple week she has looked dehydrated, and the last couple days she has been walking around and wobbling a bit. Yesterday afternoon she actually stumbled over, I think she may have been hypoglycemic. We gave her food and a tiny bit of honey. She is going to the vet today, most likely to go on I/v. She has lost a little more than ½ a pound in the past 3-4 wks, she is looking thin and we are taking her back to the vet today. I am growing concerned as the time between crashes in getting shorter.
It has been a 3 1/2 year journey with diabetes, pancreatitis, and renal failure, Scout has been a trooper the entire time of getting poked with needles all the time and sub-Q fluids daily for the past 18 months! It’s also been very expensive but she is family. She will be 14 yrs old at the end of this week. I hope she can find the strength to make it! I know we have been on borrowed time for at least the past year, I just hope I will know when the right time is to let her go and not prolong the pain.
To others out there, don’t give up, I have truly treasured the past 3.5 years I have had with Scout since diagnosed with diabetes and we have a bond that few will experience.
